Centrifugal pump



Aug. 21, 1956 Filed Dec. 2, 1.952

J. E. KIRBY CENTRIFUGAL PUMP 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Jm-m E. KIRBY ATTORNEY Aug. 21, 1956 J. E. KIRBY 2,759,428

CENTRIFUGAL PUMP Filed Dec. 2, 1952 2 Sheeis-Sheet 2 INVENTOR JOHN E, Km BY ATTORNEY United States Patent CENTRIFUGAL PUMP John E. Kirby, Notasulga, Ala.

Application December 2, 1952, Serial No. 323,593

1 Claim. (Cl. 103-103) This invention relates to pumps, and more particularly has reference to a centrifugal pump of the type particularly adapted for pumping liquids heavily charged with sand, gravel, and the like.

A centrifugal pump of the type stated is subjected to very hard wear. The wear on the interior parts of the pump, in fact, is almost continuous, said wear occurring by reason of the abrasive action exerted by the sand, gravel, and other foreign particles forced through the pump during regular operation thereof.

It will be readily appreciated that when the interior parts of the pump wear in this manner, it is necessary that the pump be taken out of operation, with an attendant loss in time and money.

Further, when a pump is taken out of operation in the manner described, for the replacement of worn parts, it is necessary that the pump be disassembled almost entirely, this being a dilficult task in many instances, since many of the centrifugal pumps now in use are not designed to facilitate disassembly thereof with the desired amount of rapidity.

In view of the above, the main object of the present invention is to provide a centrifugal pump which will be constructed throughout of reinforced rubber, thus to permit replacement of worn parts at relatively low expense.

Another object of importance is to provide a pump of the character referred to which will be specifically designed in a manner to facilitate the disassembly thereof in a minimum amount of time.

Yet another object is to provide a centrifugal pump of the type described which will be provided with means faciltating observation of the liner of the pump, whereby one can determine immediately when the liner has been worn through and needs replacement.

Still another object is to provide a pump as stated which will be simple in design, light in weight, and will have substantially fewer parts than conventional pumps used for the same purpose.

Yet another object is to provide a centrifugal pump wherein the side plates of the pump, that cooperate with a hull in forming an impeller housing, can be clampably engaged with the hull by a clamp means, thereby to permit assembly or disassembly of the impeller housing with substantial speed and ease.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of the pump taken medially between the opposite sides thereof, said view being taken substantially on line 11 of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken diametrically of the pump, substantially on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a reduced end elevational view, the pump being seen from the right of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a top plan view;

Figure 5 is a sectional view on line 5--5 of Figure 1;

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Figure 6 is a reduced elevational view of the shaft side plate of the pump; and

Figure 7 is a reduced elevational view of the pump impeller, per se.

The pump constituting the present invention includes an inlet or suction side plate 10 formed throughout of hard rubber and shaped to include a circular disc 12 formed, throughout the central area thereof, with a thickened portion 14 merging into a centrally disposed, tubular inlet passage 16 having, at that end remote from disc 12, an outwardly directed peripheral flange 18 formed with a circumferential series of bolt holes 20.

The plate 10 is reinforced, at spaced locations throughout its area, by steel reinforcing rings 22 embedded in the material of which the plate is formed. The rings 22 are of different diameters and are concentrically arranged, said rings being embedded in spaced relation throughout the area of the disc 12, the area of the thickened center portion 14, and the length of the tubular inlet conduit 16.

In the periphery of the disc 12, an annular recess 24 of right angled cross section is formed, said recess extending continuously throughout the circumference of the disc.

An impeller has been designated generally by the reference numeral 26 and is shown in Figures 1, 2, 5, and 7. The impeller is formed with a flat impeller side plate 28 of constant thickness throughout its area having a large center opening 30 registered with the inlet conduit 16. Plate 28 is positioned fiat against the inner surface of the suction side plate Ill, and is rotatable against said suction side plate. Throughout its area the plate 28 is reinforced by concentric steel rings 32 of different diameters, said rings being spaced equal distances apart, from the center opening 30 to the outer periphery of the plate 28.

Constituting a part of the impeller 26 is a series of radial blades 34, also formed or rubber material. The radial blades 34 are integral or otherwise made Iigid along one side edge with the inner surface of the inlet impeller side plate 28, said blades 34 being disposed in planes normal to the plane of the plate 28.

At their centers, the blades 34 are cut away as at 36 (Figure 2) to define, in the impeller, an impeller inlet communicating with the opening 30 and the tubular conduit 16. Thus, the liquid pumped will be sucked through the conduit 16 and through the opening 30, and into the impeller through the opening defined by the cut away construction of the blades 34, said liquid then being directed radially and outwardly of the impeller by centrifugal force.

The impeller also has a side plate 33, including a flat disc portion reinforced by concentric steel rings 40 of different diameters, the center portion of the plate 38 being thickened as at 42 and being integrally formed with a hub provided with a threaded socket 44 in which is engaged one end of an impeller shaft 46.

The hull of the pump has been designated by the reference numeral 48 and is of generally annular formation, said hull being of semi-circular cross section when viewed at any point throughout its circumference (see Figure 2). The hull 48 includes a relatively thick outer hull portion 50 reinforced throughout its circumference by steel rings 52 embedded in the rubber material of which said hull portion is formed, said rings being spaced transversely of the outer hull portion as shown in Figure 2.

Covering the inner surface of the outer hull portion 50 is a relatively thin rubber liner 54, which is of soft rubber material, bonded in any suitable manner to the outer hull portion. The soft rubber liner 5'4 assumes the wear occurring within the pump when the sand and gravel charged liquid is forced outwardly of the impeller by centrifugal force into the outer chamber defined by the arcuate cross sectional shape of the hull, said outer chamber extending through the full circumference of the impeller.

Integrally formed upon the hull 48 is an outlet conduit 56, said outlet conduit being extended approximately tangentially of the hull, in the manner shown in Figure l. The outlet conduit 56 is formed, at its outer end, with an outwardly directed peripheral flange 58 having a circumferential series of bolt holes 60.

As will be noted from Figure 1, the liner 54 extends through the full length of the outlet conduit 56.

A shaft side plate has been designated generally by the reference numeral 62, and covers the outer surface of the impeller shaft side plate 38. The shaft side plate 62 of the hull is formed with a fiat disc portion 64 reinforced throughout its area by equidistantly spaced, concentric steel reinforcing rings 66. Integrally formed upon the shaft side plate 62 is a centrally disposed bearing sleeve portion 70. At the outer periphery of the disc portion 64, there is provided a circumferential recess 68 of angular cross section, said recess matching the circumferential recess 24 of the suction or inlet side plate 10.

The recesses 24, 68 are adapted to receive the opposite side edges of the impeller hull 48, so as to cause said impeller hull and plates 10 and 62 to cooperate in forming an impeller housing.

The bearing sleeve 70 is reinforced by circumferentially spaced, triangularly formed gussets 72. At the outer end of the sleeve 7 interior threads 74 are formed, said threads engaging a flanged gland nut 76, that encloses packing rings 78 within the sleeve 70. The shaft 46 is rotatable in the gland nut, and is adapted to rotate the impeller at a selected speed.

The plates and 62 are assembled with their associated hull portion 50 by means of a pair of diametrically opposite clamps 80 arcuately formed as shown in Figure 2, said clamps 80 having openings at their respective ends receiving inwardly extended screws 82 threadable into diametrically opposite openings 84, 85 of the plates 62 and 10 respectively.

It will be seen that in assembling the pump, it is merely necessary that the plates 10 and 62 be disposed at opposite sides of the impeller, with the hull portion 50 being seated in the recesses 24, 68. The clamps 80 are then applied, and will hold the plates 10 and 62 assembled with the hull portion 50.

At one location upon the periphery of the hull, a plug 86 is threadable into an opening 88, said opening 88 constituting a priming opening.

Spaced throughout the circumference of the hull, as shown in Figure l, are viewing openings 90, said openings being closed by the liner 54. The viewing openings 90 permit observation of the liner, so that the wearing through of the liner can be detected immediately.

It is important to note that the construction illustrated and described is one that permits replacement of any part of the pump at low expense, and in minimum time. The entire hull portion, with its associated liner, can be swiftly removed for substitution of a new hull portion, simply by detaching the clamps 80 from the side plates 10 and 62. Thus, the entire pump can be disassembled in short order, and can be re-assembled with equal facilitey. The several parts of the pump are relatively inexpensive, of course, due to their formation from hard rubber rather than from steel, and this results in a further saving. Considerable time is saved, also, during the time that the pump is out of operation for replacement of parts, said saving in time resulting from the particular construction illustrated and described, that facilitates measurably the assembly and disassembly of the pump.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered apparent that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A centrifugal pump comprising: a pair of circular side plates each formed wholly of a single piece of internally reinforced rubber material, said plates beting equal in diameter and having flat inner surfaces lying in parallel planes, the plates having continuous, confronting circumferential recesses bounding said inner surfaces thereof, one of the plates being formed centrally thereof with an intake opening for a liquid to be pumped and the other plate having a centrally disposed bearing opening; an impeller formed wholly of a rubber material and including a pair of flat impeller side plates in contact with and having diameters matching those of the inner surfaces of the first named side plates, said impeller including a series of angularly spaced blades extending between and made rigid with the respective impeller side plates, the blades terminating at the peripheries of said inner surfaces, one of the impeller side plates having a central opening registering with the intake opening and the blades being cut away adjacent said central opening of said one impeller side plate for flow of a liquid to be pumped through the intake opening into the area between the impeller side plates where said liquid will be directed radially, outwardly of the impeller by the blades, the other impeller side plate including a centrally disposed hub bearing rotatably in said bearing opening and adapted for connection to a drive shaft; a hull of annular formation formed wholly from a single piece of internally reinforced rubber material, said hull being transversely curved and having its opposite side edges seating in said circumferential recesses of the first named side plates, the inner diameter of the hull substantially matching the diameter of the impeller side plates and the transverse curvature of the hull defining an annular space surrounding the impeller into which said liquids are forced on rotation of the impeller; a rubber liner completely overlying the inner surface of the hull, the opposite side edges of said liner and hull being in contact with the peripheries of the respective impeller side plates through the full circumferences of said impeller side plates, said hull including an outlet conduit communicating with the annular impeller surrounding space and extending outwardly from said annular space to provide an outlet for the pumped fluid; a plurality of arcuate clamps lying transversely of and disposed wholly exteriorly of the hull and curved parallel to the transverse curvature of the hull, said clamps having their opposite ends overlying the first named side plates and the clamps being angularly spaced about the circumference of the. hull; and screws extending through the ends of the respective clamps and threadedly engaged in said first named side plates, said screws bearing against the hull at opposite sides thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 844,822 Marks Feb. 19, 1907 1,878,429 Staup Sept. 20, 1932 2,110,079 Butler Mar. 1, 1938 2,232,648 Allen Feb. 18, 1941 2,258,527 Warman Oct. 7, 1941 2,283,348 Adams May 19, 1942 2,365,058 Crawford Dec. 12, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 341,362 Great Britain Jan. 15, 1931 OTHER REFERENCES Ace Hard Rubber Centrifugal Pump; American Hard Rubber Co. (Received in U. S. Patent Office February 15, 1935.) 

